From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 1996 13:42:30 -0500

STATEMENT ON DEFENSE BILL THAT DISCRIMINATES 
AGAINST PEOPLE WITH AIDS

January 26, 1996...The following statement is attributable to Kerry Lobel, 
Deputy Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the nation's 
oldest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.  It 
regards the Department of Defense authorization bill, authored by Rep. 
Robert Dornan (R-Calif.), that was approved on January 24.  Last December, 
President Clinton vetoed the measure, citing, among other reasons, 
discrimination against people with HIV in the armed forces.  However, 
White House officials say the President will "reluctantly" sign it this time.  

The bill instructs the Pentagon to discharge all service members who test 
positive for HIV, even if they are healthy and show no signs of illness.  The 
measure is expected to affect immediately up to 1,200 service people with 
HIV.

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	We condemn the provision in the defense authorization bill that will 
discriminate against service members with HIV.  The measure is unsound 
AIDS health care policy and is discriminatory to the hundreds of brave and 
courageous members of the Armed Forces who have admirably served their 
country.  We also oppose the provision in the bill that bans abortion 
procedures in military facilities.  This measure further erodes the 
constitutional right of reproductive freedom and access for women.

	The actions of Rep. Dornan and Sen. Trent Lott reflect the extremes to 
which the Radical Right will go to impose its discriminatory agenda on the 
American people.  Despite volumes of conscientious health care 
recommendations for dealing with the AIDS epidemic, including those 
offered by the Pentagon itself, Dornan and Lott ignore the facts about HIV 
prevention, care and the opinion of a majority of Americans who believe 
people with AIDS should not be discriminated against.

	The failure to stop this bill and the silence of Congressional leaders 
Newt Gingrich and Robert Dole is shameful and appalling.  Their silence 
equals complicity in the bill's passage and its disastrous effect on service 
members with HIV.  As Gingrich and Dole continue to pander to the Far 
Right, they unfortunately demonstrate their mean-spirited vision of America 
under a Republican majority.

	We recognize the difficult position facing President Clinton.  The 
Radical Right's threat to shut down the defense of the country so it could 
impose its own extreme agenda forces the President to make a troubling 
decision.  We urge the President not to "blink" in the face of the Radical 
Right's threat. 
 
	Finally, this controversy points out that more than a decade into the 
epidemic we have yet to see strong, principled, responsible and consistent 
bipartisan leadership in fighting AIDS and HIV.  We call on President 
Clinton, Sen. Dole and Rep. Gingrich to use all their executive and 
congressional powers to thwart this provision.

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